Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS) 1. Name and address of the compiler of this form: FOR OFFICE USE ONLY . DD MM YY Joint Nature Conservation Committee Monkstone House City Road Designation date Site Reference Number Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 1JY UK Telephone/Fax: +44 (0)1733 – 562 626 / +44 (0)1733 – 555 948 Email: [email protected] 2. Date this sheet was completed/updated: Designated: 12 September 1995 / Updated: May 2005 3. Country: UK (England) 4. Name of the Ramsar site: Woodwalton Fen 5. Map of site included: a) hard copy (required for inclusion of site in the Ramsar List): yes -or- no b) digital (electronic) format (optional): Yes 6. Geographical coordinates (latitude/longitude) : 52º 26’ 36’’ N 00º 11’ 25’’ W 7. General location: Nearest town/city: Peterborough The site lies 12 km due south of Peterborough. Administrative region: Cambridgeshire 8. Elevation (average and/or max. & min.) (metres) : 9. Area (hectares) : 208 Min. No information available Max. No information available Mean No information available 10. Overview: The site consists of a range of wetland communities, once characteristic of large areas of the East Anglian fens but now restricted to a number of isolated sites. Due to past management the site now has several types of open fen and swamp communities. There is also a relict area of acid peat, some mixed fen and an important network of ditches. The site supports an appreciable assemblage of wetland plants and invertebrates. 11. Ramsar Criteria: 1, 2 Ramsar Information Sheet: Page 1 of 5 Produced by JNCC: Version 3.0, 13/09/2007 Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 2 12. Justification for the application of each Criterion listed in 11. above: Ramsar criterion 1 The site is within an area that is one of the remaining parts of East Anglia which has not been drained. The fen is near natural and has developed where peat-digging took place in the 19th century. The site has several types of open fen and swamp communities. Ramsar criterion 2 The site supports the British Red Data Book endangered fen violet (Viola persicifolia ); the critically endangered fen wood (Luzula pallidula ) and the Fen ragwort ( Senecio paludosus ). Woodwalton also supports a large number of wetland invertebrates including 20 British Red Data Book species. Aquatic beetles, flies and moths are particularly well represented. Secretariat Comment: the scientific names of the 20 British Red Data Book species need to be included in the next update. 13. Biogeography: a) biogeographic region: Atlantic b) biogeographic regionalisation scheme (include reference citation): Council Directive 92/43/EEC 14. Physical features of the site: Soil & geology acidic, neutral, clay, peat Geomorphology and landscape lowland Nutrient status no information pH acidic, circumneutral Salinity fresh Soil mainly organic Water permanence usually permanent Summary of main climatic features Annual averages (Cambridge, 1971–2000) (www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/c ambridge.html) Max. daily temperature: 14.1° C Min. daily temperature: 6.1° C Days of air frost: 41.9 Rainfall: 553.5 mm Hrs. of sunshine: 1501.2 General description of the Physical Features: No information available 15. Physical features of the catchment area: No information available 16. Hydrological values: Flood water storage / desynchronisation of flood peaks 17. Wetland types Inland wetland Code Name % Area Ramsar Information Sheet: UK11078 Page 2 of 5 Woodwalton Fen Produced by JNCC: Version 3.0, 13/09/2007 Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 3 U Peatlands (including peat bogs swamps, fens) 100 18. General ecological features: The site was once a raised bog and was dug for peat which removed most of the acidic peat, exposing the underlying fen peat. The open fen and swamp communities present today are, therefore, of several types. A relict area of acid peat holds stands of Molinia caerulea with Calluna vulgaris , Myrica gale , Potentilla erecta and Cladium mariscus . A further swamp community is dominated by Calamagrostis epigejos . Mixed fen covers a significant part of the site. This vegetation community is floristically rich and contains species such as Thalictrum flavum , Iris pseudacorus , Poa palustris , Luzula pallidula and Viola persicifolia . The network of ditches on the site hold many uncommon British plant species and two meres have been dug which are also valuable for aquatic plants. Further habitats of significance include marshy grassland, birch and alder woodland and fen carr. The carr is varied in composition and contains Salix spp., Prunus spinosa , Betula spp. and Viburnum opulus . 19. Noteworthy flora: Nationally important species occurring on the site. Higher Plants. Viola persicifolia Luzula pallidula 20. Noteworthy fauna: Species Information Assemblage. The site supports a diverse assemblage of invertebrates including Perizoma sagittata and Chortodes extrema . 21. Social and cultural values: Aesthetic Archaeological/historical site Non-consumptive recreation 22. Land tenure/ownership: Ownership category On-site Off-site Private + + 23. Current land (including water) use: Activity On-site Off-site Nature conservation + Research + Permanent pastoral agriculture + 24. Factors adversely affecting the site’s ecological character, including changes in land (including water) use and development projects: Explanation of reporting category: 1. Those factors that are still operating, but it is unclear if they are under control, as there is a lag in showing the management or regulatory regime to be successful. 2. Those factors that are not currently being managed, or where the regulatory regime appears to have been ineffective so far. NA = Not Applicable because no factors have been reported. Ramsar Information Sheet: UK11078 Page 3 of 5 Woodwalton Fen Produced by JNCC: Version 3.0, 13/09/2007 Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 4 Adverse Factor Category Description of the problem (Newly reported Factors only) Reporting Category On-Site Off-Site Major Impact? Vegetation succession 1 + + Drainage/reclamation for 1 + + agriculture Eutrophication 1 + + For category 2 factors only. What measures have been taken / are planned / regulatory processes invoked, to mitigate the effect of these factors? Is the site subject to adverse ecological change? NO 25. Conservation measures taken: Conservation measure On-site Off-site SSSI / ASSI + NNR + Site management statement/plan + implemented SAC + 26. Conservation measures proposed but not yet implemented: No information available 27. Current scientific research and facilities: Flora. Fen violet Viola persicifolia species recovery programme. Fen ragwort Senecio paludosus species recovery programme. Fauna. Long, and ongoing, history of research and monitoring, e.g. plant and butterfly transects, breeding bird surveys, monitoring of water levels, dyke flora surveys. 28. Current conservation education: There is an interpretation board on site where leaflets can be obtained. A traditional thatched bungalow is used for meetings, reserve events and visiting school parties. It houses displays illustrating the history and wildlife of the fen. 29. Current recreation and tourism: Activities, Facilities provided and Seasonality. There are no public rights of way across the reserve but visitors are allowed access after obtaining a permit from English Nature. Ramsar Information Sheet: UK11078 Page 4 of 5 Woodwalton Fen Produced by JNCC: Version 3.0, 13/09/2007 Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 5 30. Jurisdiction: Head, Natura 2000 and Ramsar Team, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, European Wildlife Division, Zone 1/07, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EB 31. Management authority: Site Designations Manager, English Nature, Sites and Surveillance Team, Northminster House, Northminster Road, Peterborough, PE1 1UA, UK 32. Bibliographical references: Site-relevant references Duffey, E (1971) The management of Woodwalton Fen: a multidisciplinary approach. In: The scientific management of animal and plant communities for conservation. The 11th symposium of the British Ecological Society, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 7–9 July, 1970 , ed. by E. Duffey & AS Watt, 581- 597. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford English Nature (2004) Woodwalton Fen NNR site management plan . English Nature Great Fen Project (2003) Great Fen Project . Great Fen Project, Sawston. www.greatfen.org.uk Middle Level Commissioners (1997) Woodwalton Fen water level management plan . Middle Level Commissioners Poore, MED (1953) The principles of vegetational classification and the ecology of Woodwalton Fen . Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Cambridge Poore, MED (1954) The ecology of Woodwalton Fen, Part II . Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Cambridge Sheail, J (1976) The land-use history of the Huntingdonshire Fenland, with special reference to the Holme Fen and Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserves. (Contractor: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Huntingdon) Nature Conservancy Council, CSD Report , No. 81 Stewart, NF (2004) Important stonewort areas. An assessment of the best areas for stoneworts in the United Kingdom . Plantlife International, Salisbury Webb, M & Pullin, A (1997) The orange argus – a history of the large copper butterfly in Britain. British Wildlife , 9(1), 29-37 Please return to: Ramsar Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland Telephone : +41 22 999 0170 • Fax: +41 22 999 0169 • email: [email protected] Ramsar Information Sheet: UK11078 Page 5 of 5 Woodwalton Fen Produced by JNCC: Version 3.0, 13/09/2007 .